What the Expert Says:

It sounds like your child may be acting out of frustration or anger. What the basis of these emotions is could be anybody's guess. Maybe they are angry about something that happened at school. Maybe they are tired and grouchy. Maybe they simply don't want to do their chores and they think if they do them badly, they will be able to get out of them. We aren't sure what they reasoning is in this situation, and neither will you unless you are able to engage your child in a conversation about what is going on. Provide feedback on how they are doing the housework and implement plans for displining if things do not change in the way they execute the chores. This could be done with positive reinforcement by providing some sort of reward for doing the chores properly. When you provide the feedback, let them know how you feel, remain calm and gently request that they respectfully care for the home you provide.

Please take care and if you need to talk further, feel free to call our hotline. We are available 24 hours a day.

Counselor, Dominic
Boys Town National Hotline-A Resource for Parents and Teens
1-800-448-3000
www.parenting.org

Additional Answers (1)

I have experience the situation before. But I track back how it started and what actually caused it to happen. As parents or adults we should asked nicely like "would you please..." instead of "could you please..". A duty roster should be explained to our kids and put up at a place where everyone can see and reward when job is done. It doesnt have to be expensive just be creative. Let everyone in the family know what is their duty...everyone has a responsibility. Work as a team. You shold joinin the force ofwork where the job needs more than a person to do. When your child sees you do what they are doing then he feelsthe joy in doing the work. Besides you have a family interaction and a bond of closeness is there..